Life
by Lt.Ice-Blaze
Summary: It's dedicated to my dad so yamato is the father of a girl and there's a situation that needs fixing. Who will fix it? Yamato? or Kari?
1. Homecomings

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon or the characters.  
  
A/N: I know there aren't many dedications going about so I thought I'd try one and out of all the stories I've written for friends this one kind of stood out for me. I guess I wrote it because of my dad. Since we're really close and it sort of means something to me. However, if anyone has any ideas of how I could improve my writing in it I would appreciate it. Thanks.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
It was a moonlit winter night on November 15, 2003. The graveyard was cold and the ground frozen. The headstones were colder than ice and harder than usual. The young twenty year old woman had never felt so alone on that night. Three years and eleven months ago it had happened. Her daughter, Faith, was four years old today, or would have been if she were alive. Four years ago Hikari was sixteen and taking her infant daughter for a walk through the park when they were attacked and Faith, was kidnapped. A year later the infant was proclaimed dead. 'Whatever happened, I never gave up hoping.' Kari thought as she left the graveyard.  
  
I never once, backed down from a punch.  
  
I'd take it square on the chin.  
  
* * Meanwhile in Beverly Hills * *  
  
"Faith, Jerry is coming over while I'm gone alright, be good." Yamato Ishida told his daughter.  
  
"Okay daddy, bye bye." Answered the young girl.  
  
"Bye sweetie." He said with a light laugh giving her a hug and kiss. Just then Jerry walked in his usual attire, black suit and tie with a white shirt.  
  
"Here's your gear Ishida. You'll be staying in the Heighten View Terrace apartments. Check in lightly and stay away from Sakuya. Your flight leaves in an hour so good luck." Jerry instructed as Matt stepped into the long beige hallway.  
  
Well I found out fast a bullys just that and you got to stand up to him.  
  
So I didn't cry when I got a black eye as bad as it hurt I just grinned.  
  
* * Heighten View Terrace Memorial Park * *  
  
The digidestined were gathered around a tree reminiscing about the old days while watching their children play.  
  
"I wish I knew what happened to Matt. No one's heard from him in years." Mimi said heavily and sighed while the others nodded in agreement. "Let's get something to eat, I'm sure the kids are starving." She finished. The group walked down the street towards the Boston Pizza (a/n pizza mmm.). Upon walking through the door Tai noticed a blonde youth sitting in the corner staring out the window with his electric blue eyes with a cell phone in-front of him on the red table.  
  
"Matt? Dude is that you?" Tai asked walking over to him.  
  
"Yeah Tai, it's me." He answered quietly. Looking away from the window Matt turned to face the group that had walked over when his cell rang. "Ishida." He answered, "Where's Faith? *pause* I'll meet you at the airport in five." Worry and fear were evident in the twenty-three year old's voice. "I'll catch up with you guys later, here if you want to talk then give me a call." He said handing Tai a folded piece of paper with his number on it and dashed out of the restaurant into his Mustang Cobra.  
  
But when tough little boys grow up to be Dads  
  
They turn into big babies again.  
  
* * At the Airport * *  
  
"Daddy." The young four year old cried as Matt picked her up.  
  
"Our ride's out front catch you later Yamato." One of the agents said softly to him.  
  
"Right, bye." Matt replied as they dispersed from their meeting point. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked noticing the digidestined walk over to him.  
  
"Waiting for you. Where have you been for the past four years Matt? You left without even a note." T.K asked his brother.  
  
"I've been busy. Look, I got go. Call me later, Tai's got my number." He answered putting a sleeping Faith in his car.  
  
"Matt, talk to us. We're your friends." Sora pleaded.  
  
"I don't need this right now, call me." He snapped, "Sorry for snapping, this just isn't the best time okay." He apologized and drove off.  
  
Scared me to death when took your first steps,  
  
Well I'd fall everytime you fell down.  
  
* * Later that Night * *  
  
"Ishida here." Matt answered his ringing phone while Faith sat on his lap fast asleep.  
  
"Hey, you told us to call you." Tai's voice sounded from the other end.  
  
"Yeah, I know." He answered glancing at the little girl with blonde curls in the picture frame beside the television set. "You have questions, but they're going to have to wait till tomorrow. I'll meet you in Boston Pizza at noon. Goodnight Tai." He sighed getting more tired as the minutes dragged on.  
  
Your first day of school,  
  
I cried like a fool, I followed your school bus to town.  
  
* * The Next Day at Boston Pizza * *  
  
Matt was waiting as he said, in the center of the restaurant.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to tell the same thing I tell everyone else. I'm not promising answers and the answers you do get may or may not be straight ones." Matt warned as he watched them sit down around him, children in tow.  
  
"Who was the kid at the airport?" Mimi started off.  
  
"My daughter," came part of an answer. "She turned four yesterday."  
  
"Where is she then?" Davis inquired.  
  
""At my place with Rick."  
  
"How long are you in town?"  
  
"No idea." The questions kept coming, one right after the other receiving partial or impartial responses. One question caught him though, why did he leave?  
  
"Matt? Dude are you awake?" Tai asked. 'Leave it to Tai to ask if I'm awake,' thought Matt smiling slightly.  
  
"Yeah Tai, I'm awake."  
  
"Good, so what's your answer?" he continued.  
  
"Work." Matt replied. 'Is that really the answer though? Or is there something more?' Matt thought.  
  
"What work could possibly be so important that you ha-" Sora started.  
  
"You know. Put the two together Kari, now ask." Matt cut her off and locked his eyes on Kari's.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked receiving confused glances from everyone else.  
  
Well I didn't cry when ol Yeller died  
  
at least not in front of my friends.  
  
"Sukuya. You've seen him on the news and no doubt, read about him in the papers. Come, we'll talk more at my place. Rick may be able to answer some of the questions I can't." he stated and they left. The streets were congested but none of them noticed as they made their way to their childhood homes in the Heighten View Terrace apartments. As he led the group to the twelfth floor, memories of the past came flooding back into everyone's thoughts.  
  
"Daddy, you're home." Exclaimed the little girl. "Hi, I'm Faith." She greeted the group. 'She's great at fronts.' Matt thought as he watched pain and trauma flicker dimly behind her crystal blue eyes.  
  
"Hey sweetie. Rick, could you answer a few questions for them." Matt stated to the guy on the couch with unruly brown hair and black sunglasses. "Kari, Faith, come with me."  
  
But when tough little boys grow up to be  
  
Dads they turn into big babies again.  
  
"It's hard to picture you with a daughter you know." Kari stated quietly as she took in the scene of a sleeping child on Matt's shoulder. "She's beat." She observed.  
  
"Yeah, I know. It's a wonder she wasn't asleep when we got here." He stated putting Faith down in her bed and leading Kari into the adjoining room.  
  
"Why did you leave Matt? I know it wasn't all because of work." She asked quietly not expecting an answer.  
  
"I don't know." Was all he said.  
  
"Why did you come back?"  
  
"Sakuya was traced back to Japan. Faith isn't even supposed to be here and Jerry isn't around to watch her so I have to break my own rule."  
  
"Which rule is that?"  
  
"I never like, nor let, my enemy have an advantage over me. Now he has one, Faith and the digidestined. That's why I want you to take Faith with you when you leave here tonight." Matt explained to her. When the two had finished their talk Kari picked up Faith and left.  
  
"Dude, you have a very complicated life." Tai said to his friend on his way out.  
  
When everyone had left Matt collapsed onto the couch next to Rick. Glancing around the room he noticed that something wasn't right. The phone was on the table where he had left it the night before and the dishes still scattered about. The picture was still beside the television but wait, his gun that he usually kept next to or behind the photo frame was gone. Matt had to do a double take to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.  
  
"Rick, have you seen my-" he started to say turning to face the barrel of a gun pointed at his head.  
  
Well I'm a grown man and as strong as I am.  
  
Well sometimes it's hard to believe,  
  
One little girl with little blonde curls can totally terrify me.  
  
"It was always you, wasn't it. Jerry was always saying that I should be more like you. He was constantly telling me that if you could raise a daughter and still get top results on all your assignments then why do I constantly fail."  
  
"Look Fields, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. Now, put the gun down." He instructed Rick calmly but thoroughly relieved that Faith was with Kari at the moment and Rick had no idea.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
A/N: I'm still writing the next chapter but I don't have many ideas yet so we'll see how long it's going to take. 


	2. Tragedy

Disclaimer: When we left, Matt had a gun pointed at his head and Faith was with Kari.  
  
A/N: I know I kind of left the song hanging but couldn't figure out how to continue it with the story but it's slowly taking form in my head. (^_^;;  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Matt stared into Rick's eyes, daring him to do something stupid. He was watching the barrel of the gun carefully, mentally noting Rick's hand was shaking. 'Where's the damn phone,' Matt thought hearing it ring in the distance. Apparently, Rick had heard it to and tossed it to Matt.  
"Ishida." He ground out. As soon as he had answered the phone the other person had hung up. "Well, they hung up. Imagine that. The inconsideration of people these days." Matt said a little too smugly for Rick's liking. The once friendly gaze that Rick had was gone; Matt noticed for the first time, it was replaced by an icy cold stare. The gun was still in his hand but was no longer shaking. In his left hand Matt saw a fist full of steak knives. Fear flashed but was quickly forgotten and replaced by determination as he looked Rick in the eye once again.  
  
If you were to ask  
  
My wife would just laugh  
  
"You won't live to see another day Ishida, how does it feel to know that you'll never see your precious little Faith again? I bet you're afraid, aren't you. You're afraid that you'll never see her, that she will have to cope with your death and Jerry's."  
"What the heck are you talking about? Jerry's back at headquarters."  
"No he's not. He's six feet under right now, rotting underground in his suit. I killed him and now I'll kill you." Rick laughed and pulled the trigger. Matt dove behind the couch. Edging his way to the kitchen between knives and bullets he pressed the silent alarm and grabbed his other gun from behind the plates in the cupboard above the stove.  
"You really shouldn't keep loaded weapons laying around for a child to find Yamato."  
"I believe you are out of bullets."  
"That may be true but yours isn't loaded." Rick returned.  
"Doesn't have to be. You know me better than most so you should know that I always have a clip in my pocket." Matt grinned watching a flash of fear cross Rick's eyes.  
  
* * Heighten View Terrace Police Station * *  
  
"Kamiya, we have an alarm in the Heighten View Apartments. Room 1148 12th floor." The chief relayed to Tai's retreating back.  
  
* * Matt's Apartment * *  
  
"You're going to die so why not just get it over with." Rick taunted. By this time both magazines were empty and the knives were wedged so fat into the walls that neither of the two could get them out.  
About three minutes later Tai arrived and saw the digaurded weapons and broken lamps scattered about the rooms.  
"Did a hurricane streak through here or something?" he asked walking over to an exhausted Matt and unconscious Rick.  
"Tai, all I'm saying is when I turned around there was a gun in face. I don't appreciate that. Where's Kari?" Matt relayed to Tai.  
"At the park with Faith. Why?"  
"Because I need to speak with Faith." Matt stated turning to leave as Tai wrapped everything up in his apartment.  
Walking down the street Matt saw the digidestined where Tai said they were, in the park. He walked over the lush green grass and through the tall trees until he reached the playing field where he saw Faith and the children playing happily.  
  
She'd say "I know all about men  
  
How when tough little boys grow up to be dads  
  
They turn into big babies again"  
  
He dreaded telling his daughter the news but knew it had to be done. Jerry was dead and they were both going to have to deal with it sooner or later. He walked slowly over the small crevice and past the group. He looked quite worn out and forlorn to them and he knew it but didn't care.  
  
Well I know one day, I'll give you away  
  
And I'm gonna stand there and smile  
  
And when I get home, and I'm all alone  
  
Well, I'll sit in your room for a while  
  
Faith looked over at the approaching figure and her face fell as she recognized the look in his eyes. It was the same look that he had when two of W.O.O.H.P.'s agents were killed on their last mission.  
  
Well I didn't cry when Old Yeller died  
  
At least not in front of my friends  
  
She ran up to her father as he dropped to his knee to catch her as she cried softly.  
"Can we go home now daddy. I don't feel like playing no more." She managed softly and barely audible through her whimpering. Looking into her eyes he nodded and they started to walk away.  
"Wait in the car alright sweetie." Matt told her quietly. He watched her climb into the mustang as he walked over to the group and Kari's questioning eyes.  
"Where are you going?"  
"Give me a call later and I'll tell you all about it." He said as he turned to leave.  
"Yamato Ishida you are going to tell me where you are taking my daughter now." Kari fumed at him.  
"Not right now."  
"Ishida." She said threateningly.  
"Look I know you don't want to hear it but she doesn't need you right now." He told her quietly but firm.  
"Then who does she need Matt? Who?"  
"Jerry, and he was shot earlier in the week and I just found out today. Don't push it." He warned and walked away to his car and Faith.  
  
But when tough little boys grow up to be dads  
  
They turn into big babies again  
  
Kari watched him walk towards his car and let his words sink in. He was right, she didn't want to hear it, she had to hear it. His words stung, yes, but they were the truth. The look on his face was unmistakable. She knew he didn't want to tell her like this but he had to. There was sadness and anger in his eyes when he looked at her but it was directed at someone else. That much she knew. She watched as the car speed of into the distance.  
  
When tough little boys grow up to be dads  
  
They turn into big babies again.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
A/N: Something I forgot in the last chapter is I don't own the song it's property of Gary Allan. Nor do I own the characters. 


End file.
